Adapter to connect OWC Thunderbay IV to iMac Pro?

[kat.hayes]

Apparently there is no way to connect a OWC Thunderbay IV to an iMac Pro without an adapter. It uses Thunderbolt 2 and I just discovered that iMac Pros do not have it.

1. Is this the right adapter to use?
https://www.amazon.com/Apple-MMEL2A...r=8-1&keywords=thunderbolt+2+to+usb+c+adapter

2. Any other adapters I should consider? What about going from USB3 to Thunderbolt 2 with an adapter?

3. Will using an adapter affect speed of transfer at all?

Thanks.

 

[CanadaRAM]

You will be limited to Thunderbolt 2 speeds in any case
The correct adapter is the Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 adapter, https://www.apple.com/ca/shop/product/MMEL2AM/A/thunderbolt-3-usb-c-to-thunderbolt-2-adapter

 

[kat.hayes]

You will be limited to Thunderbolt 2 speeds in any case
The correct adapter is the Apple Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) to Thunderbolt 2 adapter, https://www.apple.com/ca/shop/product/MMEL2AM/A/thunderbolt-3-usb-c-to-thunderbolt-2-adapter

This looks like the same one I posted? Only because it is less on Amazon.

 

[hfg]

That is the correct adapter (both are ) which I use to connect my ThunderBay IV to a 2017 iMac 5K TB3. If you are running hard disk drives, they will determine the actual data rate which will be less than the Thunderbolt spec speed.

 

[kat.hayes]

So much money for an adapter...

How much faster is usb c than thunderbolt 2 and usb3?

 

[jerwin]

usb-c is a connector, not a bus standard. (It's name escapes me, but there's at least one "usb-c" cell phone out there that combines a usb-c connector with a 480 Mb/s maximum bus speed)

usb-3.0 is 5.0 Gb/s

usb 3.1 Gen 1 is 5 Gb/s (this is what the macbook uses)
usb-3.1 Gen 2 is 10 Gb/s
thunderbolt 1 is 10 Gb/s
thunderbolt 2 is 20 gb/s
thunderbolt 3 is 40 Gb/s

 

[kat.hayes]

Is the iMac Pro Usb 3.1 gen 1 or 2?

Thanks.

 

[jerwin]

Is the iMac Pro Usb 3.1 gen 1 or 2?

Thanks.

apple says

• Nbase-T Ethernet with support for 1Gb, 2.5Gb, 5Gb, and 10Gb Ethernet using RJ‑45 connector
• SDXC card slot with support for UHS‑II
• Four USB 3 ports

those type A USB ports are probably no more than 5.0 Gb/s

Four Thunderbolt 3 (USB-C) ports with support for:

• DisplayPort 1.2
• Thunderbolt (up to 40 Gbps)
• USB 3.1 Gen 2 (up to 10 Gbps)
• Thunderbolt 2, HDMI, DVI, and VGA supported using adapters (sold separately)

https://www.apple.com/imac-pro/specs/

 

[joema2]

Apparently there is no way to connect a OWC Thunderbay IV to an iMac Pro without an adapter. It uses Thunderbolt 2 and I just discovered that iMac Pros do not have it....What about going from USB3 to Thunderbolt 2 with an adapter?...Will using an adapter affect speed of transfer at all?...

I have three 32TB Thunderbay 4 arrays, an 8TB SSD Thunderbay 4 Mini, and a 16TB OWC Elite Pro Dual. They are connected to either my iMac Pro, 2017 iMac or 2016 MacBook Pro. I have several of the Apple Thunderbolt 3-to-2 adapters used for that. They work fine and I've never had a problem with them.

The SSD Thunderbay 4 Mini does about 1155 MB/sec write, 1230 MB/sec read going through the adapter, while another 32 TB array is daisy-chained off it. So performance seems OK.

You can also use the Apple USB-C-to-USB-A adapter if you run out of USB ports, and that seems to work fine. Unlike the iMac and iMac Pro, The 2016 and later MacBook Pro has only USB-C ports, so using adapters is a way of life for those machines.